All-Pro Chase Utley

In anticipation of the Super Bowl, Buster Olney mused in his ESPN Insider column yesterday about baseball players that could potentially make it in the NFL. Number 5 on the list was The Man, Chase Utley. Buster said, “You could see him being a possession receiver who is willing to go over the middle and take the hit in order to get the first down.” True, but we all know Chase would excel in any position on the field.

Who else would make a good footballer – maybe Raul at linebacker or Ryan Howard at fullback?

40 Comments

Great SB last night. I had no horse in the race, was hoping for a competitive, interesting game and got it. Just as good, I went to the beer distributor Fri night, was going to pick up something for the game. At the register, saw Yuengling Bock. It’s somewhere between lager and black and tan – good flavor, drinkable, a solid value.
Agree with Utley. Howard would probably be a d-end – doesn’t quite have the speed or hands for fullback. I could see Rollins as a Westbrook type scatterback, Vic as a punt returner.
Working in N Jersey, I see the NY Post just about every day. They are just hammering Omar and the Wilpons on a daily basis (one of the quotes today was along the lines of having an awfully big payroll for a team that doesn’t have a first baseman or starting catcher, a 2nd baseman who they hate, and only one reliable starting pitcher). While I get some pelasure in it, I like it much better when the Mets are just behind the Phils. Anything can happen, but the NYM look like a train wreck – total dismantling by the all-star break (I think they’ll keep Wright, but everyone else, including Santana, Beltran, and Reyes, will be up for sale for the right price). If the Wilpons are really hurting for $, Santana could go on the market by June if they are out of it.

I think Olney’s crazy. I love Chase but I couldn’t see him as an NFL wide receiver… 6’1″ with average quickness. He’s fast but I wouldn’t call him quick. Vic would have a better chance as a Wes Welker type because he’s quick like that… I could see Jimmy playing RB or DB or returning kicks. Werth could probably play WR… he’s tall, he can run, he can jump and he played catcher (so he’s tough). Howard would make a good TE or DE… probably the former.

A fun question would be if the Phillies showed up to play an 11 on 11 football game, who would play each position…

To those who are saying Utley as QB, sorry I can’t see it. He looks like he is built to be a QB, but his arm is pretty much the only part of his game that he lacks. If he had a stronger arm, he’d be a 5-tool baseball player. Not saying his arm is awful, but it definitely isn’t very strong.

I would agree with that Amanda… he doesn’t have the arm but he’s smart and has all the other tools. Werth could probably play QB… maybe even Madson or Happ but with that O-Line, whoever is back there has to be able to run.

my team would look like:
victorino at safety
jroll at cornerback
ruiz at middle linebacker
howard at defensive end
ibanez at tight end
werth at wide receiver
polanco at running back
utley at anywhere
blanton at center
madson at quarter back

This is a fun discussion for sure. Some very interesting ideas being thrown around here. I love some of them, others are terrible, no offense to anyone. With that being said, everyone is entitled to their opinion so I’ll take my crack at it. Starting with

Roy Halladay – QB – Duh! Whoever it was that said Roy is not allowed on the field is crazy. The Doc was born to play this position! Had he decided to pursue a career in the NFL rather than the MLB, of course.

Chase Utley – S – Perfect. Way to go, person who originally suggested this. Sorry Buster, Chase is not the one taking the hits, he is the one dishing them out, and you better believe that.

Ryan Howard – LB – 6’4 and ~250? Those numbers speak for themselves. He has MIKE written all over him. DE was an interesting suggestion as well, but I just can’t see Howard being athletic enough to handle that position. DEs and OLBs are generally freak athletes. Instead think of him as the run-stuffing, Jeremiah Trotter-type.

J-Roll & Shane – Return Specialists – On the other end of this, has anyone ever heard that DJax was once scouted by the Phillies and Devil Rays? If I’m not mistaken, one scout called him the fastest natural baserunner he had ever seen. Who knows how the rest of his tools looked, but just imagine the damage he would have done on the basepaths.

John Mayberry – DE/OLB – John is a big, big boy and a very good athlete. I could see him in on his fair share of sacks. Picture him throwing Tony Romo like a ragdoll. Beautiful, I think.

Phillippe Aumont – TE – Has anyone seen this guy? He’s a monster!

Dom Brown – WR – If I’m not mistaken Dom had offers to go play WR for at least a couple noteworthy universities. He’s got the height, the speed, and the instincts for it. I can just see him Mossing little cornerbacks all day.

And last but not least…

CHOOCH – FB – Does anyone dare to doubt Carlos Ruiz at this point? I didn’t think so. A fullback may not need to contribute with big yardage plays, but he better at least be a blocker. Chooch has gotten enough practice while blocking homeplate over the years. He can handle it.

I know there are a ton of players I left out, these are just the ones I feel would be most likely to make it in the NFL. Or at least survive.

Baseball players are smarter than footballers. They are a different breed who have longer and healthier lives. Baseball money beats football money. Although amusing, this Rod Serlng Twilight Zone exercise is like trying to mix oil with water.

And for the record, yes, I do love Colbert Michael Hamels. How could anyone not love him after he was the main reason Philadelphia finally got a championship in a quarter of a century? After a good off-season, a drop in his 2009 workload, and slightly better “luck,” I think he’ll come right back this season. CY Young contender? I think it’s very likely.

I by no means intended to denigrate this thread by any means. Just a simple commentary that when we begin to wonder what (and by what means) certain phillies’ players would be football players, we’ve sunk to the bottom third of the ‘we’ve run out of things to talk about until spring training starts’ barrel.